Pests & diseases › Rust
Rust
Orange-brown fungal pustules on leaves. Affects leeks, garlic, onions, mint, raspberries and beans.
Symptoms
- Bright orange or rusty-brown spots on leaves
- Pustules releasing powdery spores
- Yellowing and early leaf drop
- Weakened plants, reduced yields
Lifecycle
Spores spread on wind and rain splash. Worst in warm humid weather.
What to do
- Pick off affected leaves, bin (don't compost)
- Cut leeks down to ground level in autumn — they often regrow clean
- Improve airflow
- Foliar feed with seaweed
If it's bad
- No fungicide approved for vegetable rust in home gardens
Stop it coming back
- Wide spacing
- Don't overhead-water
- Avoid excess nitrogen
- Rotate alliums on a four-year cycle
- Resistant leek varieties: Bandit, Apollo
Crops it goes for
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.